Planning & Building
PLEASE NOTE: The updated California Building Code will go into effect on January 1, 2026. To be reviewed by the County under the old code, a building permit must be submitted to the County before January 1, 2026. As usual, all applicable building permits must be reviewed and approved by the City of Lafayette prior to submittal to the County. Planning staff are expecting a high volume of building permits to be submitted at the end of 2025, and cannot guarantee review in time for submittal to County prior to 2026. If you know you will be submitting a building permit in 2025 and would like to be reviewed under the old code, please make every effort to submit your building permit to Lafayette Planning for review as early as possible, such as October or November 2025. The City of Lafayette often closes between Christmas and New Year’s Day, and cannot guarantee that staff will be reviewing permits during that time.
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BUILDING INSPECTION DEPARTMENT |
CONNECT WITH A PLANNER
To help Planning staff respond as efficiently as possible, you have the option to meet with a planner in-person or virtually via Zoom. Please read below to decide which method you prefer in order to meet with a planner and discuss your questions.
THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT DOES NOT ACCEPT WALK-INS AND CANNOT GUARANTEE SERVICE WITHOUT AN APPOINTMENT.
Planning Counter - The Counter is open for in-person meetings on Thursdays, with the option to meet virtually via Zoom on Wednesdays. See below for options to meet with a planner in-person or virtually via Zoom.
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Virtual Counter Appointments by Zoom - "Virtual Drop-In" with no appointment required Click this link to connect with a planner via Zoom: https://bit.ly/2WkgHcv |
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In-Person Counter Appointments - BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Book an appointment to meet with a planner in person. |
Calls - A planner is on duty accepting calls from 8AM - 5PM Monday-Thursday at (925) 284-1976.
E-mail - You may send questions via email to planner@lovelafayette.org, which is staffed Monday-Thursday. Please provide the property address and your questions in your email. E-mails received on Fridays will receive a response the following week.
Walk-Ins - The department DOES NOT accept walk-ins. Please choose either options to connect with a planner by phone, email, or appointment.
Closed Fridays - The department will be closed to the public on Fridays, however, Planning staff will continue to work on answering public inquiries from the week, processing applications, preparing long range planning documents, submitting mandated reporting to the state, and additional administrative tasks.
Additional Information
- Public Meetings - All public meetings, including Planning Commission, Design Review Commission and Zoning Administrator, continue to be held over Zoom teleconferencing and streamed live to the Love Lafayette YouTube.
- Contra Costa County Building Inspection Department (CCCBID) is also only accepting digital submittals for building permits. The department is reopening its facilities to the public and you can make an appointment with staff here. More information is also at this link.
REQUIRED ANNUAL STORMWATER FACILITY INSPECTIONS
Applicants looking for plan review for stormwater facility inspections from the Lafayette Engineering Department must create an online account to submit a review request through the idtPlans portal.
- Register for an idtPlans account: https://lovelafayette.idtplans.com/secure/ (Click here for a step-by-step guide on creating an idtPlans account)
- Submit an application for a “Stormwater Permit” – you will receive an automated confirmation email when your application has been submitted successfully
- A digital version of the stormwater control plans used during construction of the stormwater facilities should be uploaded as part of the review request submittal. If you do not have a copy of the approved plans that were used during the construction of the stormwater facilities, please contact the Engineering department assistant at 925-299-3247 for assistance in obtaining a copy of the plans.
- There is no charge for review by the Engineering Department, but there is a $345 fee due to the County Conservation & Development Dept. which will issue the Stormwater Permit and conduct the inspection
- Engineering will review and stamp off plans; please allow up to one week for review
- Once approved, applicants will receive an email with instructions on how to download the stamped plans
- Applicants are responsible for submitting the stamped plans to the County and scheduling the inspection with a County inspector
DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW
The Planning & Building Department provides current and future physical planning for the community consistent with the City's General Plan and Zoning Code, and the policy direction of the City Council. The General Plan sets forth the community's vision for long-term physical form and development, quality of life and community values. Strong emphasis is placed on physical preservation of neighborhoods, revitalization and enhancement of the downtown commercial area with respect for the community's semi-rural residential character, and the overall service needs of and vitality of the City's economic base. The Zoning Code contains land use regulations that implement General Plan policies. The Department processes development applications, administers the City's Zoning Code, and provides technical and administrative support to the Planning and Design Review Commissions. The Planning & Building Department also assures that development is in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and all applicable State and local codes and ordinances. Enforcement of the Zoning Code is handled by Code Enforcement. The City contracts with Contra Costa County for building inspection services.
The Planning & Building Department prides itself on providing excellent customer service. In an effort to help us measure the quality of service provided, please take a moment to fill-out our customer satisfaction survey.
Work Plan:
- Staff and provide professional recommendations to the City Council, Planning Commission, Design Review Commission, DSIMPIC, Environmental Task Force, and subcommittees.
- Provide quality assistance to the public in the areas of zoning, planning, building, and other related activities.
- Hear and decide discretionary approvals administered by the Zoning Administrator.
- Process and review applications in a timely and professional manner.
- Complete the tasks in the approved Work Plan.
- Implement the goals of the General Plan and Downtown Specific Plan.